Nazir 9a

נזיר ט׳ ע״א

Learn Nazir 9a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

A person who says "הריני נזיר" but then adds "from dried figs and fig cakes": the מחלוקת between בית שמאי and בית הלל about whether he becomes a נזיר

Overview

The משנה brings a case where someone says "I am a נזיר from dried figs and fig cakes," even though a נזיר is only forbidden in grape products. בית שמאי say he is a full נזיר, and בית הלל say he is not a נזיר at all. רבי יהודה narrows בית שמאי's view: they only meant that the figs become forbidden to him, like a קרבן. The גמרא first explains that בית שמאי follow רבי מאיר (a person does not speak for nothing). It explains that בית הלל follow רבי יוסי (a person is held to the end of his words, so this is a נדר ופתחו עמו). But that reasoning would apply to בית שמאי too, so the גמרא gives a new explanation. For בית שמאי, "I am a נזיר" takes hold at once, and the figs part is a request to cancel the vow. That request fails, because they hold there is no שאלה for הקדש, and so none for נזירות either. בית הלל are now explained through רבי שמעון: a vow made in a way no one ever vows has no effect.

Opening lines

The steps (9)

1. StatementThe case: a נזיר vow tied to dried figs
2. Statementרבי יהודה narrows בית שמאי's view
3. ChallengeWhy would בית שמאי make him a נזיר?
4. Resolutionבית שמאי follow רבי מאיר
5. Resolutionבית הלל follow רבי יוסי
6. ChallengeIsn't it a self-cancelling vow for בית שמאי too?
7. ResolutionA new explanation: his words about figs are an attempt to cancel the vow
8. ResolutionWhy the cancellation fails: no שאלה for הקדש or נזירות
9. Resolutionבית הלל follow רבי שמעון: an unusual vow means nothing